Buckle



S. AKST.

BUGKLE. k 7 APPLICATION FILED FEB. 27.1918- Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BUCKLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 27, 1918.. Serial No. 219,467.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SIGMUND AK's'r, a citizen of Russia residing at Washington, in the District of olumbia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Buckles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention comprehends enerally improvements in that class 0 inventions known as buckles, buttons and clasps and more particularly has reference to an improved fastener.

It is the primary aim and object of this invention to provide a device of the above mentioned character designed for attachment on the adjacent edges of the upper of a shoe or other article for fastening the shoe without necessitating the employment of shoe laces, et cetera. While the device is of an improved construction it permits of the same being connected with the uppers of the shoe in such a manner that the same may be moved into an extended position when it is desired to remove the shoe or else folded into a closed position so as to fasten the shoe.

It is an equally important object of this invention to provide a fastener of the above mentioned character designed to replace the employment of fancy buckles, in addition to serving as a fastener.

More particularly the present invention contemplates the provision of a fastener embodying a main ornamented frame to which is movably connected the auxiliary frames which in turn are connected or attached to the adjacent edges of a shoe or glove in such a manner that the auxiliary frames may be folded when it is desired to fasten the article, so that they will lie within the plane of the main frame so as not to interfere with the convenience of the wearer.

As a further improvement the invention consists in the provision of a cross bar for bracing the side portions of a main frame and ornamented on its outer surface so that the ornament serves to limit the inward movement of the auxiliary frames.

Among the other aims and objects of this invention may be recited the provision of a device of the character described with a view to compactness, and in which the number of parts are few, the construction simple and the cost of production low and the efliciency high.

Other improvements and novel details in the construction and arrangement of the various parts of the apparatus will be brought out more in detail in the description to follow, which for a clear understanding of the invention should be considered in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, and wherein is disclosed for the purpose of illustration a convenient and satisfactory embodiment of the invention. It is to be noted in this connection that minor changes in the construction. and ar rangement of parts may be made without departing from the principle of operation of the yarious parts.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is an elevation of the invention in osition on a shoe.

ig. 2 is a rear elevation of the invention detached.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken through the invention, parts being arranged in an extended position, and

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken through the invention when the parts are arranged in a folded or fastened position.

Fig. 5 is a central transverse sectional view of the structure of Fig. 2.

Similar characters of reference are employed in all of the above described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring now, more particularly, to the accompanying drawings there is provided a main frame indicated in its entirety by the numeral 1 being preferably of a rectangular or loop shaped configuration. The side portions 2 of which are bowed outwardly so that the frame may comfortably fit across adj acent edges of the upper of a shoe at the instep thereof. so as not to inconvenience the wearer of the shoe. Auxiliary attaching frames 3 and 4c are now employed and are of loop shape or rectangular configuration, being the size less than half the size of the main frame and having their side portions 5 bowed outwardly, the contour of the side portions being similar to the contour of the bowed side portions 2- of the main frame 1. At this point it may be stated that the frames are formed of relatively stifi' wire. Connecting elements in the forms of metallic plates 6 are now employed and are rolled upon themselves at their respective ends to form sleeves 7 and 8, the sleeves 7 being rigidly arranged about the end portions of the main frame while the outer sleeves serve to pivotally receive the adjacent end portions of the auxiliary frames as indicated in the Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

drawings. The sleeves of course, being positioned on the inner side of the entire device so that the flat portions 9 of the plates will be presented exteriorly. The opposite end portions of the auxiliary frame are attached as by stitches 10 to the adjacent edges of the uppers of the shoe and are designed to be swung toward each other and arranged within the plane of the main frame 1 which later engages the outer surfaces of the uppers and lies across the instep as indicated in Fig. 1, and because of the particular arrangement of the parts serves to cooperate with the auxiliary frames in maintaining the uppers of a shoe in close relation with respect to each other or in a fastened position.

To limit the inward movement of the auxiliary frames and brace the main frame and at the same time enhance the appearance of the device, a cross bar 11 is connected to the side portions 2 of the main frame medially of the ends thereof and this cross bar is designed to form a wing-like ornament 12, the wing portions of which are curved inwardly and serve as stops against which the outer end portions of the auxiliary frames abut so as to limit the inward movement of the auxiliary frames.

When in a fastened position it is to be observed that all of the parts form a complete ornamental fastener and in addition to being used to fasten the shoes serves to replace the usual ornamental buckles now used on shoes or pumps. When in a fastened position all of the parts lie in the same plane on the inner surface of the device there being no projections to interfere with the comfort or inconvenience of the wearer when walking. It will thus be apparent that a fastener constructed in accordance with the above requirements serves as a means for fastening the shoes and in addition provides an effective and ornamental buckle.

In use, assuming that the parts have been assembled in the manner described and as indicated in the drawings when the parts are in a position shown in Fig. 3 to close or fasten the shoe it is only necessary to swing the auxiliary frames toward each other which draws the adjacent edges of the shoe upper together and. during this movement move the main frame inwardly until it engages and straddles the up er at the instep thereof. In opening the evice it is only necessary to engage the cross bar or ornament and exert an outward pull on the same which draws the main frame away from the auxiliary frames so that the auxiliary frames may be subsequently engaged and moved away from each other into an extended position.

It is believed in view of the foregoing description that a further detail description of the operation of the'invention is entirely unnecessary. Likewise it is believed that the advantages of the invention will be readily apparent.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments ofthis invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limited sense. It is also to. beunderstood that the language used in the following claim is intended to cover all the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which as a matter of language might be said to fall therebetween.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters-Patent, is

A fastener of the kind described embodying a loop-like frame bowed in the direction of its length, plates connected with the ends of said frame and rolled upon themselves to provide sleeves, a pair of auxiliary loop-like frames conforming in shape to the shape of the first said frame but ofless width than the latter and of less length than half the length of said frame, each auxiliary frame having one end pivotally connected to one end of the main frame by engaging the sleeve thereon, the remaining ends of the auxiliary frames being attachable to opposed flaps of an article of wearing apparel, a cross bar intermediately positioned across the main frame and an ornament provided with wing portions, the said ornament being attached to the cross bar and having its wing portions projecting laterally therefrom to act as abutment members for those ends of the auxiliary frames attached to said apparel whereby the auxiliary frame may be made to draw the flaps of said apparel together and to secure them together when the said frames are in the aforesaid abutting position.

SIGMUND AKST. 

